The article “Ontology-based framework for construction cost management using BIM for small-scale public infrastructure projects” by Anna Nast, Christoph Merschbrock, Jürgen Melzner, and Jacopo Cassandro addresses data discontinuities and limited reuse of structured knowledge in construction cost management.

This study proposes an ontology-based framework for managing cost-related information in small-scale public infrastructure projects, focusing on standardized railway stations. The research methodology combines an empirical analysis of current 5D BIM practices in Germany, a narrative literature review of ontology-based approaches for construction cost estimation, and a case study of a representative railway station project.

The results indicate that cost development can be structured into four phases aligned with the Level of Development (LOD) concept: Level of Geometry (LoG), Level of Information Need (LoIN), Level of Cost Item (LoCI), and Level of Work Item (LoWI). The framework enables a granular allocation of costs to building components and construction works, and promotes the systematic reuse of cost-related information.

Publication:
Nast, A., Merschbrock, C., Melzner, J., Cassandro, J. (2026). Ontology-based framework for construction cost management using BIM for small-scale public infrastructure projects. In: Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering (SACE); https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.43488

Figure 1: Source - Publication in the Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering (SACE)
Figure 2: Proposed model for cost-information and knowledge structure